English

At Gad’s Hill we place huge emphasis on the importance to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with the tools to produce high standards of spoken and written language. We place an emphasis on developing their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment so as to promote progress both inside and outside of the learning environment.

Our pupils learn to read and write effectively and quickly using the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme. This programme is for pupils from Year R to Year 2.

In Read Write Inc. Phonics pupils:

Decode letter-sound correspondences quickly and effortlessly, using their phonic knowledge and skills.

Read common exception words on sight.

Understand what they read.

Read aloud with fluency and expression.

Write confidently, with a strong focus on vocabulary and grammar.

Spell quickly and easily by segmenting the sounds in words.

Acquire good handwriting.

We make sure that pupils read books that are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and the common exception words. This is so that early on, they experience success and gain confidence in their reading ability. Re-reading and discussing these books with the teacher supports their increasingly fluent decoding.

Alongside this, the teachers read a wide range of stories, poetry and non-fiction to pupils; they are soon able to read these texts for themselves.

Embedding the alphabetic code early on means that pupils quickly learn to write simple

words and sentences. We encourage them to compose each sentence aloud until they are confident to write independently. We make sure they write every day.

Pupils write at the level of their spelling knowledge. The quality of the vocabulary they use in their writing reflects the language they have heard in the books the teacher has read to them.

Our aim is for pupils to complete the phonics programme as quickly as possible. The sooner they complete it, the sooner new doors open in which they can develop their interest in more complex books and write to develop their imagination.

Once children are able to quickly decode and read for meaning they are given an Accelerated Reader account. Children read books and then answer a range of questions on the computer to develop their comprehension skills.

‘The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’

Dr Seuss

We follow the national curriculum for English.

The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:

read easily, fluently and with good understanding

develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information

acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language

appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage

write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences

use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas

are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate